NAPLES (Fla.) – Madelene Sagstrom once had a picture on her phone of Ludvig’s swing. She wanted Aberg to be in the impact position.
“I thought, I really need this,” Sagstrom said with a smile.
Sagstrom, 31 years old, will get to experience the impact of his position this week as he teams up with the Swedish duo for the first Grant Thornton Invitational.
They’ve known each other for nearly a decade, with both sharing the same swing coach in Hans Larsson, who oversaw their instruction at Sweden’s prestigious sport school, Riksidrottsgymnasium.
The Grant Thornton is the first team event to be held between the PGA Tour & LPGA Tour since John Daly & Laura Davies won the JCPenney Classic final in 1999. The first day was played at Tiburon Golf Club in scramble format, and the second was alternate shot. The final round is a modified fourball format
Grant Thornton : Sunday tee time
The purse of $4million is the largest in the LPGA this season outside of the majors. The winning team will each receive $500,000 or $1 million. Sagstrom and Aberg are eight strokes behind Lydia Ko and Jason Day in the final round.
Aberg, 24 years old, turned professional in June. He won the Omega European Masters on the PGA Tour and the RSM Classic in November. He will be making his first appearance at a major championship in 2024, the Masters.
Aberg flew to Spain before making his debut in Rome at the Ryder Cup to watch Sagstrom, Linn Grant, and Maja Stark compete in the Solheim Cup.
Ludvig was attending his first Solheim Cup or Ryder Cup.
Ludvig said, “The way Madelene hits the balls is different from any other woman I’ve played against.” It’s all about the compression, height and distance. It’s all a combination.
Jack Clarke has been caddying for Aberg ever since Sagstrom became a professional. Many of the teams competing in the Grant Thornton tournament met for the very first time. However, this team has a long history.
Sagstrom won the Gainbridge LPGA event in Boca Rio for 2020. She has many swing videos of Aberg on her phone, but his short game is what she finds most inspiring.
Sagstrom said, “For me, it’s obvious that he can make shots I cannot.” “But in general, I think his short game is incredible.” “He’s great around the greens, and I really lack that part in my game.”
Sagstrom continued with a smile, “I am a good ball driver, so your driving is impressive but not that impressive.” “Whatever is lacking in you, that’s what you find most impressive.”
